Canada at a Crossroads: Tech Flight, Taxes & an Ostrich Farm Standoff

Guests John Turley-Ewart — Risk management consultant specializing in capital markets with extensive experience on Bay and Wall Streets; Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist; contributor to The Globe & Mail. Katie Pasitney — with the Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, BC. Segment 1 — “Dear Canada: Nobody’s Coming to Save Us” Turley-Ewart unpacks his Globe & Mail piece and argues Canada is losing ground on productivity, capital, and talent. Why cheering a proposed US$100,000 H-1B fee is “self-delusion”: high-skill workers and companies still prefer the U.S. Tech drain: startups headquartering abroad to raise more capital; policy programs seen as out of touch with operators. Structural headwinds: tax burden, weak industrial investment since the early ’80s, and health-care capacity gaps. What to fix: rebuild manufacturing, unlock LNG/natural resources, drop interprovincial barriers, reward investment, and create policy certainty that beats (not just matches) the U.S. Fiscal reality check: rising deficits/debt squeeze future social spending and opportunity for younger Canadians. Segment 2 — Edgewood Ostrich Farm vs. CFIA Katie Pasitney updates the legal fight over the flock after earlier bird deaths linked to avian influenza. Farm seeks independent testing of the surviving ostriches; says offers to fund testing have been rebuffed. Interim stay in place; concerns raised about animal care, community tensions, and the costs of enforcement. Core question: if birds are healthy and not shedding, should culling proceed—or should testing decide the outcome? Segment 3 — Does Staging Sell Homes? A pro stager and a veteran realtor weigh in: staging helps buyers visualize living in the space and can reduce objections. Typical playbook: neutral décor, rentals for key rooms, curb-appeal tune-ups; agents often cover staging costs. Market nuance: still-hot pockets vs. buyer’s-market caution; write appliances (make/model) into offers to avoid swaps. Listen Catch The John Oakley Show live weekdays 3–6pm on 640 Toronto, stream anytime at 640toronto.com, or on the iHeartRadio app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices